Singapore’s Zeanne Law named Wushu Taolu Rising Star of the Year
A typical day in the life of wushu exponent Zeanne Law is nothing short of fast and furious. The Singapore Sports School final-year student attends her lessons that start as early as 8am and between her classes, she zips off to work on her technique in one of the school’s dedicated training areas for martial arts.
By evening, the 18-year-old travels from Woodlands, where her school is, to national training in Bedok. And once training ends, she commutes back to campus, where she squeezes in a little time for revision before heading to bed.
Law’s tireless dedication to her craft led to her being crowned women’s taijiquan world champion at the Texas-held World Wushu Championships last November. Her efforts have also been recognised by the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) after she was named the 2023 Wushu Taolu Rising Star of the Year on Jan 23.
The title was determined by public voting with Law garnering 56,405 votes to narrowly edge fellow finalist, Ukrainian Alina Krysko, who received 55,993 votes.
Law said: “It is very heartwarming to know that there are that many people who support me. I did not expect to win but I am very thankful and most importantly, to me it is an acknowledgement of all the hard work that I have been putting in.
“It has not been easy, especially in 2023 because I was doing my best to juggle between my studies and wushu. This motivates me to work even harder.”
The past year was a real test for Law. She prepped for her World Championships whilst also studying for one half of her International Baccalaureate examinations. The Sports School allows eligible student-athletes to stretch the completion of their IB Diploma Programme longer than the usual two years, in order to balance their sports training and academic requirements.
“In fact, I would say I made my studies a priority and that whole period was hectic and difficult. I often felt fatigued. But at the end of the day, I am fortunate to be at the Sports School where I am given the best of both worlds,” said Law.
With the confidence booster from the recognition, Law hopes to be able to excel in three major competitions in 2024. Law, who made her debut at a major competition during the Hanoi SEA Games in 2022 at the age of 16, will compete in the World Taijiquan Championships in Singapore in August, Asian Wushu Championships in September in Macau and Taolu World Cup in Japan in October.
While focused on these upcoming events, Law has already pictured the perfect swansong. On her long-term ambitions, she said: “To win a gold medal at the 2029 SEA Games on home soil. That is the perfect closure. That would be the dream.”
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